Wachau World Heritage Trail 10: Aggsbach Dorf-Hofarnsdorf

Description

Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail: From Aggsbach Dorf to Hofarnsdorf

The stage from Aggsbach Dorf to Hofarnsdorf leads along varied forest and field paths up to the imposing Aggstein castle ruins and on into the tranquil landscapes of the Dunkelsteinerwald forest. Via the baroque Maria Langegg pilgrimage monastery with its museum, library and impressive frescoes, the route runs through the quiet Buchental valley. A short, secured passage leads to the Hoher Stein, one of the most beautiful vantage points in the Wachau with sweeping views over the Danube valley.

The trail then leads steadily downhill through the Buchental valley, accompanied by mighty beech trees on the opposite slope, to the Glauberkreuz rest area in the middle of the Arnsdorfer Rieden vineyards. After crossing with the Arnsdorf-Spitz roller ferry, the stage destination of Hofarnsdorf Castle is quickly reached, where this particularly scenic and culturally diverse stage comes to an end.

Hiking along the Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail reveals step by step why the Wachau has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage region. Along finely curated World Heritage spots, the defining World Heritage highlights become visible - the interplay of historic cultural landscape, traditional viticulture, extraordinary natural spaces and the Danube as a shaping element.

For a carefree all-round offer, including luggage transport, tastings and transfer services, we recommend booking one of the versatile hiking packages.

Thanks to good rail connections, a relaxed and sustainable journey to the Wachau is easy. A dense network of public transport in the region ensures that all stages can be easily reached by bus, train, ferry and boat. This also makes it very easy to combine different stages.

The Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail has also been awarded the Austrian Hiking Seal of Quality. This certification stands for high quality standards in terms of route guidance, signposting, safety and infrastructure and confirms the World Heritage Trail as a reliable and high-quality hiking offer in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Starting point of the tour

Aggsbach Dorf, Hammerschmiede

Destination point of the tour

Hofarnsdorf, castle

Route description Wachau World Heritage Trail 10: Aggsbach Dorf-Hofarnsdorf

From the information point at the bus stop in Aggsbach Dorf, where our stage starts, we walk to the Hammerschmiede and continue to the intersection. Opposite the former inn "Zur Kartause" we turn left and begin the ascent to the Aggstein castle ruins. Passing the plague cross, we reach the parking lot of the Aggstein ruins and then continue hiking uphill through Herrenwald and Aggsteingraben. The ruins date back to the 12th century and were once home to the Kuenringers and the robber baron Georg Schreck vom Walde. Due to its impressive size and historical significance, the castle is one of Austria's most important castles. At the entrance in front of the ruins is the stamp station, and inside the ruins a tavern invites you to stop for a break (admission fee). After a refreshing rest, we follow a beautiful forest path to the Maria Langegg monastery, where we can visit the pilgrimage museum. From Maria Langegg we enter the Dunkelsteinerwald again. Our path leads past the Goldreut wayside shrine up to Friedrichsfelsen. Here a detour to the Hoher Stein is worthwhile, which we reach via a small climbing section. The Hoher Stein is one of the most beautiful viewpoints along the entire Welterbesteig Wachau and offers magnificent panoramic views.

In Buchental we then continue downhill to the beautifully situated rest area Glauberkreuz in the middle of the Arnsdorf vineyards (where the Welterbesteig Wachau was opened in May 2010). A few hundred meters later we reach the main road B33. We follow it briefly to the right and then immediately turn left again up to above the Arnsdorf-Spitz ferry on the Danube. We do not go down to the ferry but continue straight ahead. Parallel to the river our path leads into Hofarnsdorf, where we turn left towards the castle with the parish church. The castle, built directly on the Danube in the Biedermeier period, is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. We end the stage with a beautiful view of Spitz with the Tausendeimerberg, the Atzberg vineyard area, and the Red Gate on the opposite bank.